The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to assembling single board computers and, more particularly, to installing peripheral component interconnect (PCI) mezzanine cards (PMC) in stacked single board computers.
Some known computers use a stacked card configuration in order to increase a computer's capabilities without changing the form factor. To prevent the computer from becoming too large, peripheral cards are added. However, installing and/or removing a card from such a configuration requires that a top card be removed in order to access a bottom card. Moreover, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) Standard for a Common Mezzanine Card (CMC) Family, i.e., IEEE Std. 1386-2001, provides the physical dimensions and features of a CMC and host slot mechanics. The IEEE standard defines a means for attaching the CMC to the host printed circuit board (PCB) by means of four mounting screws inserted through the opposite side of the host PCB.
For example, FIGS. 1-3 are perspective views of a known stacked single board computer card configuration 100. Computer card configuration 100 includes a top PCB 102 and a bottom PCB 104. Bottom PCB 104 is coupled to top PCB 102 using a plurality of screws 106. More specifically, bottom PCB 104 is coupled to top PCB 102 using one or more screws 106 at each corner of bottom PCB 104 and one screw 106 in the middle of bottom PCB 104. However, in order to, for example, install a PMC 108 in computer card configuration 100, top PCB 102 must be disassembled from bottom PCB 104 in order to access PMC mounting screws 110.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method for installing a PMC in a dual slot stacked single board computer configuration. Moreover, it is desirable to provide an apparatus for use in securing a PMC in such a configuration.